Honeywhisker's Haven
Chapter 1 A milky sweet voice entered Goldie's ears. “Goldie, are you awake?” The voice of her mother lilted into her thoughts and she opened one eye. “Yes, Mother.” She opened her second eye and soft, warm light filtered through the den walls. “Good. Your littermates want to play.” Now, both Goldie’s eyes shot open. “Oh!” She leapt up and bounced off to find her siblings. The housefolk were awake and filling her mother’s food dish with strange, brown pellets. Goldie flinched in surprise as a small paw batted her back. She turned to see her littermate, Dream. “Goldie!” giggled the she-kit. “Where have you been? We’re playing chase!” Goldie’s eyes lit up. “Me too! Me too!” Dream beamed and led the smaller she-kit to the others. “You start on this side with them,” she mewled, pointing her tail to three of Goldie’s other littermates. “And we go on this side. You guys have to catch us!” With a mew from Dream, the game began. All of the kits were a mess and dodging each other with clumsy paws. Goldie headbutted her sister, Lilli, and the she-cat squealed angrily. “Hey! No fair!” squeaked Lilli. “Oh… I-” Goldie was cut off by her other sister, Sol. “I saw that! She caught you, fair and square.” Goldie looked at her sister in curiosity. “Thanks,” she mewed to her. Lilli sent a look toward Sol. “Whatever.” With a flick of her stubby tail, the tiny she-kit flounced away. Dream padded up to Sol and Goldie. “I’m out,” she mewed, a little breathless. She looked at the two. “Hey, want to know a secret?” Sol’s eyes widened. “Yeah, yeah! Tell us!” “We got this game from the kits in the next den over. Know who they got it from?” Goldie tipped her head sideways. “Who?” Dream made a face. “They got it from some crazy forest cats!” Goldie’s eyes widened. “Forest cats?” Sol looked fascinated. “Really?” Dream nodded. “They called it ‘wind chaser’. But we’re too small to play wind chaser just yet, so plain old chase will have to do.” Goldie flicked her gaze to Sol, who wore a look of awe on her face. Just then, two brothers bounded up from behind Dream. “Hey, guys!” beamed Opal. Goldie smiled in return. The tiny, dark tom flicked his tail. “Whatcha up to?” Sol leapt up. “Dream says that chase is a forest game! Crazy, right?” Charlie, the other tom-kit that had come up to them, gasped. “Wow!” he squeaked. “That’s so cool!” The group of kits expanded as more of Goldie’s siblings gathered around. “A game from the forest… how exciting!” “That’s enough!” All the kits fell silent as their mother’s powerful mew sounded behind them. Goldie blinked, a little alarmed. “You kits should know better. The forest cats are dangerous and shouldn’t be meddled with. Do you all understand?” Goldie smiled at her mother a little guiltily as the she-cat raked her gaze across the kindle of kits. “Yes, Mother!” she chorused with her littermates. She noticed, next to her, Sol had not said anything. Instead, the tiny pale she-cat was scowling at their mother fiercely. Goldie felt a shiver run down her spine. Chapter 2 ( W I P ) "I'm leaving." Goldie spun around, meeting her sister's gaze in alarm. "What do you mean?" Sol's gaze flicked to the floor. "I don't want to be a kittypet. I'm leaving." Goldie's eyes rounded. "Leaving us? Like, the housefolk, and the... the..." Sol glared behind Goldie. "Mother isn't going to miss me. And I'd like to live on my own." Goldie anxiously met her sister's gaze. "How could you leave us? You're a kit..." She felt the words melt off her tongue. She sighed and looked at Sol. The pale yellow she-kit had her face creased into a soft frown. Finally, Goldie mewed, "You know I can't stop you. But I'll miss you." Sol smiled a little. "I'll miss you too, Goldie. But I've never felt more sure about this decision." "Will I see you again?" "I dunno, I'll probably visit. There's no telling where I'll stay, though." Sol shrugged.